1. Field of the Invention
This application is directed to methods of gaming and more particularly, to systems and methods of conducting Internet-based and/or casino-based wagering games of chance and skill.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Legalized public and private wagering games of chance and/or skill abound in the United States and throughout the world. Some examples of common wagering games of chance include Bingo, Keno, slots and others.
Bingo-type games involve a plurality of participants each having at least one pre-printed playing card that has printed on it a population of numbers arranged in a matrix. The game is played by randomly selecting winning numbers from the population of numbers. In a traditional bingo game, a participant wins when a combination of selected winning numbers covers at least one row, column, and/or diagonal of five numbers on at least one participant's playing card. However, numerous other patterns that have been predetermined may also be used for winning. Some examples of such patterns include “Hard Way” (five-in-a-row without using the free spot) and “Six Pack” (2×3 or 3×2 matrix). Verification of the win occurs immediately and if the win is verified, the game ends and no further numbers are drawn. Generally, there is only a single winner for each game. If there are multiple winners, the prize is divided equally among all winners.
Keno is another type of legalized public and private game common in the United States and throughout the world. Keno-type games are played using a card that has a population of numbers, usually about 80 different numbers, printed thereon. A player picks a selection of numbers, usually up to about fifteen. At set times, a computer or person draws a selection of random winning numbers and the player marks the winning numbers on his/her card to see whether any winning numbers match the numbers the player initially selected. At the end of the drawing, the number of matched numbers determines whether or not the player is a winner. Generally, the more numbers (or, more precisely, the greater the percentage of the chosen numbers) that match, the more the player wins. Keno-type games are generally more flexible than bingo-type games because game participants can choose how many winning numbers they want to try to match in each game, for example two, five, ten, etc.
In casino (or computer-based) slots-type games, the game board comprises a movable matrix of symbols that are positioned on reels that are spun each time a game is played. Within the matrix, there may be one or more pay lines that, when a particular combination of symbols is obtained along one of the pay lines, the player is awarded a prize. When the spinning reels stop, the player is a winner if a particular pay line contains all the same type of symbol (e.g., a row of sevens or a row of cherries). Some combinations of different symbols may also be winning combinations and different symbols may have different winning values. For example, a row of all cherries may pay out less than a row of all sevens.
Such keno-type, bingo-type, or slots-type games may be played at designated venues (e.g., casinos or state lottery approved sites) or may be played using a computer system coupled to a communication network (e.g., the Internet). These and other fixed-odds wagering games of chance are popular because they are accessible, easy to understand, and easy to play. There is a present and recurring need for methods of making such and other games of chance more interesting, last longer, and provide more than one winner, while still having fixed odds to win and having a predetermined payout for a win. Such a game is needed to attract new game players and to provide existing players with enhanced entertainment.